Apple today posted a job listing on its website looking for a Payments Software Engineer that will “help build a next generation payment platform.” Apple says the payment system will consist of integration of payment devices, middleware and acquirers that will “push the boundaries in new markets for Apple Retail.”

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Apple is interested in experts in eCommerce, banking, retail, and card industries and lists various payment technologies including Chip&Pin, bank messaging specifications, country specific technologies such as EFTPOS (AUS) and Interac (CAN), and testing solutions used by Visa, Mastercard and others including ADVT, M-TIP, AEIPS, and Interac testing.

Apple currently uses a custom housing for the iPod touch with a combination of third-party hardware to process payments in its retail stores. Apple also has its Apple Store iOS app that lets users purchase products for personal pickup or quickly scan and purchase accessories when in a retail store. We already reported the company has some big plans for retail in the near future with its new Bluetooth 4.0 powered iBeacons technology. Apple is installing its iBeacon transmitters in retail stores in the U.S. with plans of beaming promotions and other relevant info to customers walking around the store. As more and more big companies take advantage of iBeacons and even start offering the ability to complete payments using the technology, perhaps iBeacons will play a role in Apple’s new payment platform for retail. It would certainly be a great opportunity for Apple to finally introduce its own payment system, a competitor to the NFC-based Google Wallet for example, but we’ll have to wait to find out for sure what Apple has planned.

About the Author

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s weekly Logic Pros series and makes music as one half of Toronto-based Makamachine.

This is huge for apple!
If apple can offer a PayPal style payment service they could make massive amounts of money.
If they employed such a service to handle all payments received in apple stores alone they would save around 3% on their current TURNOVER!!!
After the costs of staff Apple’s biggest outgoings are payment charges.
As every small business will know people have to pay around 2-3% of turnover to receive card payments.
If apple could offer such a service (maybe funded by the £150B cash pile!) they could make 2-3% of payments for ANYTHING made via iPhone.
If you pay for your food shopping in using your iPhone – 3% goes to Apple.
If you walk into a shop a buy a new Samsung TV – 3% goes to Apple.
Tie this service to more TouchID IOS devices or maybe an iWatch that identifies you based on your biometrics (maybe from vein patterns in your arm?) and Apple stand to make mega amounts of money.

For small payments (lunch, coffee, 7-11, etc) contactless NFC card works like charm, payment in a second or two. A few seconds later my phone receives an SMS with the purchase information.

For larger payments, an EMV chip card. Enter your pin and you’re done. Doesn’t take too long. I have to say I’m not such a big fan of pin-only purchases and would prefer to have an user selectable, per purchase option for pin and signature.

I hope one day they will use the Paypal and makes a lot of money, and also give benefits to a small community of developers. It’s seems a good Idea but I really want to see them to introduce something really worth-able. A purely Apple engine same as Unreal Engine. Their new software engineer batch will really need to make a good engine for graphic, as the next generation is all based on the graphic & performance.

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